Grafeneck Castle

 memorial, castle, Second World War 1939-1945, notable by news

The Grafeneck Euthanasia Centre (German: NS-Tötungsanstalt Grafeneck) housed in Grafeneck Castle was one of Nazi Germany's killing centres as part of their euthanasia programme. Today, it is a memorial site dedicated to the victims of the state-authorised programme also referred to since as Action T4.

At least 10,500 mentally and physically disabled people, predominantly from Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, were systematically killed between January and December 1940 at this place. It was the first place in Nazi Germany where people were killed in huge numbers in a gas chamber. This was actually the beginning of the Euthanasia Programme.

In 1929, the charitable nonprofit organisation Samariterstiftung established an asylum for disabled people. At the beginning of the war in 1939, the building was confiscated. The killings through gas were performed between January and December 1940. Afterwards, it was used to situate children and mothers with babies,who had fled from the bombing of the cities. Since 1990, Grafeneck is a memorial place; in 1965, the so-called "Garage"—where the killings happened—was demolished.

www.gedenkstaette-grafeneck.de/329.htm